Recommendation 22

Sport England told us the changes in distribution of spending reported by the NAO was due to where some of the national organisations were based rather than where the funding then goes on to be received. It explained that some organisations, such as the Football Foundation, may be distributing money nationally, but it was recorded as being distributed where they were based, in this case London.35 However, the NAO’s analysis 30 Q 59 31 Q 28 32 Qq 42, 43 33 C&AG’s report, paras 12, 2.19 and 2.24 34 Qq 45, 49 35 Qq 45, 46 Grassroots participation in sport and physical activity 15 excluded grants issued to national organisations. We therefore pointed out to Sport England in reply that the fall in the share of funding received by the most deprived local authorities from 40% to 34% only related to money spent at local level. But it continued to insist that the fall was due to grants issued to national organisations and where these organisations were based.36